Cartridge deflector for shotguns



Aug. 20, 1957 E. P. SIMMONS CARTRIDGE DEFLECTOR FOR SHOTGUNS 2 shets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1955 Aug'. 20,' 1.957 E. P. slMMoNs 2,803,080

' CARTRIDGE DEF'LECTOR FOR SHGTGUNS Filed Jan. 20,. 1955 Y 2 sheets-sheet .2v

2,803,080 Patented Aug. 20, 1957 Flce CARTRIDGE DEFLECTGR FOR SHOTGUN-S Ernest P. Simmons, Kansas City, Kans., assigner to @lin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Application January 20, 1955, Serial No. 482,941

3 Claims. (Ci. 42--25) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in Shotguns, and has particular reference to the means` for ejecting the cases of exploded shells when the gun is tired.

In the usual shotgun, as the bolt recoils rearwardly after the gun is red, an extractor carried by the bolt engages the rim of the exploded shell and pulls said shell out of the chamber. As the bolt reaches the rearward limit of its travel, an ejector rod is projected through the head of the bolt and impinges on the base of the shell. Since said ejector pin is offset laterally from the extractor tooth, the ejector serves to pivot the shell case transversely outwardly through an opening formed in the gun. housing, or receiver. The shell case is thus ordinarily ejected with considerable speed and force and often strikes other gunners standing near. This is particularly true in match shooting, where the gunners often stand abreast on a ring line.

The principal object of this invention, therefore, is the provision of means for decreasing or dampening the force and speed with which the gun will eject expended shells, so that they will fall very close to the gun rather than being projected considerable distances. In general, this object is accomplished by placing a detlector in the injection opening, disposed as will be fully described hereinafter, so as to interrupt the movement of the shell and consume most of the momentum thereof. This deflector engages and obstructs the shell after'it has been engaged by the ejector, and thus does not act through the shell to retard or brake the bolt movement. In automatic guns, the bolt in its movement also actuates the reloading mechanism, and the ejection brake therefore should not limit or retard the bolt action.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efficiency and dependability of operation, and adaptability to be applied to pre-existing guns with a minimum of alteration and expense.

With these objects in View, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical mid-sectional view, with parts left in elevation, of the receiver, chamber, and related portions of an automatic shotgun embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 1, with additional parts left in elevation.

Pig. 3` is a fragmentary, slightly irregular sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1, with parts left in elevation.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line out the several views, andthe numeral 2 applies to the L receiver portion of an automatic shotgun of the splitchamber type, said receiver being hollow and elongated longitudinally of the gun, and having left and right side Walls 4, and 6, top wall 8, front wall 10, rear wall 12, and being open at the bottom. The rearward portion of the bottom opening is closed by a trigger frame 14 held in the receiver by an assembly pin 16. The forward portion of the bottom opening is occupied by a shell carrier 18 carried movably by trigger frame 14. Said. shell carrier in itself, forms no part of the present invention, butits function will be described briefly below.

The gun barrel 20 is threaded into a bore 22 formed through front wall 10 of the receiver, and communicates with the interior of the receiver. A magazine tube 24 is disposed beneath and parallel to the barrel, and is also threaded at its rearward end into front wall 10 of the receiver in communicating relation with the interior of said receiver. Shells 26 carried in said magazine tube are urged rearwardly by a magazine spring, not shown, carried in the forward end portion of said tube.

Carried for longitudinal sliding movement in the rearward end portion of the barrel is a tubular chamber 28 adapted to receive a shell 26 therein as: best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Said chamber is provided at its rearward end with an internal shoulder 36 against which the rim 32 of the shell abuts, and an external shoulder 34 which normally abuts the rearward end of the barrel. The chamber is provided with a rearward extension 36 disposed within receiver 2, said extension having the form generally of a downwardly opening semi-cylinder. The rearward end of said extension terminates in spaced relation to a forwardly facing shoulder 38 formed internally in receiver 2. As best shown in Figs. 1 3, a pin 40- is carried slidably in a bore 42 formed in the wall of said extension, and is urged rearwardly against shoulder 38 by a compression spring 44 carried in said bore. The chamber shoulder 34 is thus urged forwardly at all times toward engagement with the rearward end of the barrel.

The bolt 46, when the gun is closed, is disposed within chamber extension 36, the forward end thereof abutting` the rearward end of the shell in the chamber, as shown in Figs. 1-3. Adjacent its rearward end, said bolt is provided with an upwardly projecting lug 4S, which projects into a slot S0 formed in the top portion of chamber extension 36, whereby to lock the bolt against rearward movement relative to the extension. The mating surfaces of lug S8 and slot 50 are inclined whereby to provide a cam action forcing the bolt firmly forwardly as the lug rises into the slot. The bolt carries a ring pin 52 therein. against a stop pin 54 by a spring 56, so that the forward end thereof is normally disposed rearwardly of the for-- ward end of the bolt, and the rearward end thereof projects rearwardly from the back end of the bolt. A hammer 58 pivoted in trigger frame 14 at 60 is urged pivotally' The bolt is supported in the receiver by a horizontal pin 74 extending transversely of the gun and passing through a pair of matching slots 76 formed in a pair of side walls 78 which are integral with and depend from the` The forward end portions of said slots, in which bolt. pin 74 is disposed when the bolt is closed, are substantially horizontal. The rearward portions of said slots are inclined upwardly and rearwardly, for a purpose which will appear. Pin 74 extends outwardly from the sides of Said tiring pin is urged rearwardly in said bolt the bolt, and the ends thereof are mounted in slides 80 and 82. lSaid slides .are mounted for forward and rearward sliding movement respectively in grooves 84 and 86 formed in the inner surfaces of receiver side walls 6 and 4 (see Fig. 4).- Iheright slide 80 is provided with a thumb-piece 88 which projects outwardly through a vslot 9.0 formed in receiver side wall 6, whereby the slide may adjacent receiver wall 6 is also eut away AVas indicated-at 94 to form an opening registering with opening 92. Opening 94 isy partially blocked by af rectangular obstruction or udeflector 96 Yat the upper rear corner thereof. The function of this deflectorin combination with the usual extractor and ejector forms the'subject'matter of this invention, and will be fully ldiscussed below.

A link 98 is pivoted on pin 74 between bolt side walls 78, and extends rearwardly through the receiver.' Harnmer 58 operates through a slot 100 formed in said link. At its rearward end, said link' is pivoted at 102 to an inertia rod 104 which is carried for longitudinal sliding movement in a tubular extension 106 of the receiver, said extension being disposed in the stock 108 'of the gun. A recoil spring, not shown, is disposed in tube 106 behind rod 104, and'urges said rod forwardly. i v

The general operation of the gun is as follows: When the gun 'is fired as previously'described, the chamber 28, extension 36, and bolt 46 first recoil rearwardly as a unit against thepressure of spring-loaded pin 40, since the bolt is lockedin the chamber extension by lug 48. The bolt -motion'is Valso transmitted through pin 74 :and link 98 to inertia" rod 104, imparting substantial momentum thereto.

, The frrearward movement (of the chamber is arrested after a very short travel by engagement of the'rearward end of extension 36 with receiver shoulder 38, but inertia rod'104 continues rearwardly by its momentum, carrying pin 74 rearwardly in bolt slots 76. When pin 74 engages the inclined `rearward portions of said slots, it cams the rearward end of the bolt downwardly, lowering bolt lug Y 48 from slot 50 of the chamber extension. The momen- V tum of the inertia rod then carries the bolt rearwardly Y when'the bolt is in batteryv position, into a notch V120 formed through the rim of chamber 28 between shoulders 30 and 34 thereof, and is provided at its forward'end with a tooth 122 which engages the forward side of the rim 32 ofthe shell in the chamber.

Thebolt also carries an ejectorpin 124 for longitudinal sliding movement in approximately parallelrel'ation to but spaced apart from the firing pin. The forward end of the ejector pin is operable to be projected forwardly through the facevof the bolt to engagethe base' of the shell, but is normally urged rearwardly by a spring 126 carriedY in the bolt to retract theforward end thereof within the bolt. In the retracted position, a'shou'lder 128 (Fig. formed on the ejector` engages a 'matching shoulder in the bolt, and therearfward` end'ofthe ejector pr'ciccts rearwardly from the bolt the bolt approaches the rearward limit of its recoil movement, extractor 1,10 Pulling thc expended Shell @S .2t therewith .as .Previously describen 1h9- feafwafdend' CLI -of ejector 124 strikes the back wall 12 of the receiver (see Fig. 6) and is stopped thereby. The bolt continues its rearward movement, thereby causing the forward end of the ejector to project forwardly of the bolt, striking the base of shell 26 and pivoting it sharply about extractor tooth 122, and outwardly through the ejection opening 92 of the receiver. If it were not for the presence of deflector 96 in the ejection opening, the shell case would be ejectedwith substantial speed and force, spinning on a vertical transverse axis. Normally the/shell is thrown so far and with such'force asto V :o11stitute a distinct annoyance, if not an actual hazard, to other shooters vor persons standing nearby.

On 'the other hand, it is not practical to reduce the ejection force itself by reducing the momentum 'of the bolt itself, as by strengthening the recoil spring, lightening the weight of the inertia rod, or the like. In an automatic gun the bolt'rnust perform certain functions which for eticiency require the full momentum ofthe bolt. For example, during its reeoil stroke, the bolt and link 98 funcf tion to recock the hammer 5 8, 'and on its return stroke the be seen that as the shell is pivoted about extractor tooth' 122, and either at the time or immediately after bolt 4.6V

has completed its rearward moVQment, so that the shell is moving only by its own momentum, the shell willstrike `the forward edge 130 of deector 96. The striking of any obstruction in its path will of course dissipate atleast a portion of the energy of a thrown body. Moreover, it will be noted also that forward edge 130 is and must be located to the rear of the center of gravity of the shell ca se, in order that the forward end portion of the shell' cases will continue its outward movement even after the shell case strikes the obstruction. VIn other words, after the shell case strikes edge 130,'` it'continues to spin in the same direction, but the axis of spin is shifted suddenly from extractor tooth"1 22 to deilector edge 130.. This means that the angular momentum of theV rearward or base Y portion, of the shell'case behind edge V130V must be suddenly reversed. This reversal also uses up a portion of the total momentum of the shell case and reduces the Y distance it will travel.

Furthermore. it will bc noted that thc. lower edge. 132 0f dccctor 96 .is disposed .above the center line of the. shell case, so that as the case engages the forward'edge of the deflector,.and pivots therearound, said deflector cams the shell case downwardly. Sincethe vertical distance between the lower edge 132 of the deflector and the lower edge 134 of ejection opening 92 isless than the diameter of the shell'case, the downward camming of the shell case by the deflector causes the sheli toA ride along the bottom edge 134 of the ejection opening with a degree ofV friction, which further uses or dissipates the momentum of the shell case and cause it to fall close to the gun. The friction is still further increased by rounding or bevelling vthc lower forward corner. of doctor 96,V as indicated at 1,136. This causes the sheli case to be wedged with greater force againstvthe edge 134 of the ejection openingv and hence increases the. frtonal broke. thereon The angle of the bevel could be-variedto provide closer control'of the ejection throw if desired. Y

While I have shown and described a vspecific Iembodif ment of my invention, it will be apparent thgt manye minor Y changes of structure and operationrcould'be made without departing 4from the spirit of they invention as defined by the -Scope of the appended claims. l Y

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination, with a shotgun including a receiver having a generally rectangular ejection opening formed in a side wall thereof, said opening being of a size to permit transverse movement of a shell case therethrough, a chamber disposed forwardly of said opening and adapted to contain a shell to be tired, a bolt carried in said receiver for forward and rearward movement, the face of `said bolt being movable from a position abutting the base of a shell in said chamber to a position approximately registering with the rearward edge of said ejection opening, an extractor carried by said bolt `and operable to grip the rim of a shell in said chamber at the side thereof adjacent said ejection opening, means operable by the recoil force of the gun to move said bolt to its rearward position, whereby said shell is extracted from the chamber by said extractor and moved into substantial registry with said ejection opening, and an ejector carried by said bolt and operable during the final portion of the rearward movement of the bolt to extend through the face of the bolt and engage the base of said shell in transversely offset relation from said extractor, whereby said shell is pivoted outwardly through said ejection opening around said extractor, of a deector comprising: a member par- 25 tially obstructing said ejection opening, said deector extending forwardly from the rearward end of said opening to a point forward of the front end of said ejector, as it projects from said bolt, said detector extending inwardly from a side edge of said ejection opening, the distance between the inner edge of said deflector :and the opposite side edge of said ejection opening being less than the diameter of said shell case.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said deector extends inwardly from a side edge of said ejection opening, the distance between the inner edge of said delector and the opposite side edge of said ejection opening being less than the diameter of said shell case, and wherein the forward end of said deector is disposed rearwardly of the center of gravity of a shell case gripped by said extractor as said bolt reaches its rearward position.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said deflector extends inwardly from a side edge of said ejection opening, the distance between the inner edge of said deilector and the opposite side edge of said ejection opening being less than the diameter of said. shell case, and wherein the deector is bevelled at the juncture of the forward and inner side edges thereof, said bevel converging rearwardly toward the opposite side edge of said ejection opening.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 431,668 Mauser July 8, 1890 851,643 Bennett Apr. 30, 1907 2,494,220 Williams Jan. 10, 1950 2,606,383 Jensen Aug. 12, 1952 

